Forever and Always?
by xthedramaqueenx
Summary: Hermione hated Sundays. It was a cold Sunday morning when Ron was proclaimed dead, even though his body was never found. That Sunday, she made a promise that she would fall out of love with Ron.
1. Giving Up

_**Forever and Always?**_

**_Author's Note: I'm hooked on writing now! I hope that everyone enjoys my stories, and I'm going to give you an update on_** Weasley Adventures _**sometime next week. Until then, here's a whole new story:**_ Forever and Always?**. _Don't worry, things won't be so dramatic in later chapters._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing. Darn it._**

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Hermione sighed deeply and rolled over in bed. She looked at the calendar hanging by her bedside, and groaned. It was a Sunday. Hermione hated Sundays. It was a cold Sunday morning when Ron was proclaimed dead, even though his body was never found. The war had taken many others, but it was he who mattered most.

_August 14th._ Hermione sighed. It was six months since that horrible incident - she couldn't believe that he was gone for _six months _now. She didn't know how she kept on living - kept on _breathing_ - without Ron. The night before the war had started (and ended), Ron had told her that he loved her, and she had made the most silly, stupidest mistake ever and told him that she, in return, did not love him back . . . but after he was dead, she learned that nobody really knows what they have until it's all gone.

She pushed the sheets away from her body, and sat upright, deep in thought. It did not take her long to start crying, very quietly. Hermione always cried quietly, so that no one could hear her. She did not want the whole _Burrow_ to know her feelings for Ron, and what she had said to him the night before he died. Most of the Weasley family and Harry, even though they were sad that Ron had died, could, without great difficulty, stop thinking about Ron every minute of every day. The trouble was, she couldn't. She needed to get away from all of them, even they had been so good to her, and took Harry and her into their home after the battle.

Wiping her eyes, Hermione started to settle down. She needed at least one good cry daily. Pathetic as tears were, sometimes they helped her feel better.

* * *

"Pass the butter please, Harry." 

The Weasleys (Including Harry and Hermione) were sitting down, eating a late breakfast. It was near lunchtime, but on Sundays, everyone tended to sleep in. Ginny had emerged in pink pajamas, much to Mrs. Weasley's dismay. "Ginerva! I told you to _change _for breakfast. . . _we still have guests here, you know_!" Harry had liked her pajamas, because he and Ginny had shared three knowing smiles at breakfast (so far).

Mrs. Weasley was picking at her food again. It was a nasty habit - she herself had admitted it after Fred and George pointed it out a few months ago. She had lost a lot of weight, and she was no longer what Hermione liked to call, "pleasantly plump."

"I think I might look for a house I could move into," said Hermione, as quickly and as naturally as she can. She wanted it to sound like she was just making conversation, like it was not some kind of big announcement. "And I'm paying you, Mrs. Weasley, and you, Mr. Weasley back for feeding and housing me for these six months." Mrs. Weasley's mouth opened in protest. "I won't hear of it, Hermione. You ought to stay here for a while longer, and I refuse to accept any money from you."

Hermione found her eyes tearing up again, for the second time that morning. "No, Mrs. Weasley. It's about time I found a house to live into. It's also about time I start studying to be - well, to be - whatever I want to be." Hermione was going to go through with this. She could NEVER live in Ron's house after these six months. It seemed haunted, almost. Oh, and she felt a _little_ guilty living in Ron's house after she told him that she did not like him more than just a friend.

Harry's eyes started tearing up a bit, too. Hermione could tell that he was trying to act tough, though, as he said, "I might as well move out too...It's about time myself and Hermione, well - give Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a break from all of this drama. We were supposed to be here for just a few days, mind you - and we've stayed almost _six months _- "

"Exactly six." Corrected Hermione, "Today."

Mrs. Weasley let out a little cry, and put her fork down. "You can't leave, not both of you - I need both of you here. You were - you were Ron's best 'mates', both Hermione and you, Harry! You've got to stay. You must stay." Mr. Weasley looked dumbfounded, but nodded his head in agreement. "Ron would've wanted both of you to stay."

Percy, who was biting a piece of toast agreed. He had come running back to his family shortly before the war. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had, of course, forgiven him wholeheartedly, much to Fred and George's disappointment. Ginny, who was taking a sip of coffee, had let out a little cry. "Don't go, Harry," she had whimpered. "Oh, and you two, Hermione." She added, briskly. "All of us need you here . . . Ron would've needed you here . . . " _For Merlin's sake, will they stop talking about Ron for one second!_ Hermione's head screamed. Fred and George and Bill and Charlie had taken a very sudden interest in their food. Hermione, feeling as though she could not take it anymore, politely asked if she may be excused, and then ran up the stairs.

Throwing herself on the bed, she sobbed rather loudly. _Forget crying quietly_! She almost fell off the bed, thinking of how she spoiled her chances with Ron forever . . . there would be no coming back where he had gone. "Merlin," wheezed Hermione between tears, "Merlin . . . " A part in the back of her brain was telling her she was being silly, and she was acting like a character on one of those soap operas her mother used to watch on the telly. Wiping her eyes, she caught herself. _I can't live on this emotional roller coaster ride for long. . ._

"Hermione, are you quite alright?" Said a voice, unmistakably Mrs. Weasley's.

"I'm fine," Hermione said.

"You sound like you've been crying, dear . . . Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, Mrs. Weasley, I haven't been crying. I don't have anything to talk about."

"Are you sure, dear?"

"I'm sure."

Without changing, Hermione pulled down her - rather, The Weasley Families' - bed covers, and snuggled into the comfort. _I need sleep._ She told herself, even though she had a full night's rest just a few hours ago. That day, she made a promise to herself. A promise that she will move on, away from Ron forever.


	2. Forever and Always

**Forever and Always, Chapter Two **

**Written by xthedramaqueenx**

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Author's Note: Well, this is it. The end of the story. Yes, I know, short, but, well - it's the end. THANKS TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, darn it, NOTHING.

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"Good Merlin," Hermione muttered as she dropped her books. She was trying to get on with her life, looking into jobs at the library. She found that the Auror and Healer jobs interested her more so than any others. She fell right into a redhead's arms. "Ron?"

"Excuse me ma'am."

"Ronald Weasley!"

"No, ma'am, David. I'm sorry for bumping into you, miss."

"That's fine."

Hermione couldn't help but be annoyed with herself. She made a promise not to ever think that Ron was coming back again. When your dead, you can never go back to where you came from, unless you chose the path of a ghost. She was positive Ron wouldn't, though. Sure, his body was not found, but that was probably because Voldemort had blasted it . . .

"Oh, Merlin!" She shouted, loudly and suddenly. She had a picture of Ron's dead, lifeless body in her brain. David looked shocked. "I'm sorry," she whispered, rather slowly. "I'm very, very sorry."

"That's okay," said David, "You just gave me a fright."

Hermione turned her attention back to her books. A few days later, she and Harry would be leaving the Burrow. She did not want to leave, but she knew that it was for the best, and that she had to move on, away - stop thinking about Ronald Weasley and the fact that he loved her, so, so very much.

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"A Healer's job is to . . ." Hermione was flipping through the pages of the borrowed book. She had given up the book about Aurors because whenever she looked at it, she heard Ron's voice faintly in the distance - "_Being an Auror sounds cool, don't you think, Hermione, Harry_?" 

She heard Mrs. Weasley's voice far down the stairs. "Hermione, we have some news for you . . . "

Hermione rushed down, expecting to see Ron alive and well. _And everything will be okay . . . he'll be there, waiting for me, and we'll get married, have children . . ._ As Hermione neared her destination, she saw that Mrs. Weasley was in tears, along with the rest of the family.

"Ron's body has been found," she whimpered.

The three minutes the Weasley family (including herself and Harry) were standing there, at the door seemed like three hours to Hermione. Hermione knew she was being immature, but a slight wail left her throat.

"_He was supposed to come back_!" She was soon shouting, much to the discomfort of everyone else, "He loved me! I loved him, even though I turned him down!"

"Hermione, not to be rude or anything, but what the bloody hell are you talking about?" Asked Harry, trying to remain calm and very tough.

"We loved each other," she whispered, crying softly. Mrs. Weasley ran up to her and put her arms around the poor girl, even though she could've used some comfort from somebody else as well. "He told me he loved me," she whispered. Tears were falling freely from down her cheeks. She felt as though her whole world - everything she had lived for - was falling right down, right before her very eyes. "He was supposed to come back. We were supposed to get married. We were supposed to have kids! He was the only one I've ever loved in my life!"

The Weasleys were crying, as well as Harry. "I admit it to, Hermione," said Harry, "I thought that he was going to come back. He was my best mate growing up, and - I don't know. I guess that we should've moved on a long time ago . . ."

* * *

Looking at Ron's grave gave Hermione funny feelings in her stomach. It was the day of the funeral, and she was dressed in black, which matched her mood. Knowing that she was being silly, she kneeled down to Ron's grave, and whispered. "I loved you too, Ron." 

No answer.

"I know you're gone forever, now, Ron, but, I just want you to know that I love you too. I was just - afraid, I guess. Afraid to love you . . ."

After a while, she gave up hope for an answer.

"I remember how you used to act like an unemotional git around me, but suddenly flew into rage when I got a new letter from Krum . . . that was the only reason why I was writing to him, honestly - to see you reaction to it. I admit I was only doing it to make you jealous."

She was silent for a few moments.

"That's about all I have to confess to you, Ron."

Thinking for a few more seconds, she said, "No, wait, Ron. I have more to say. I thought you were really coming back, and I thought that we'd forever love each other. I know that you're never coming back, but I am still going to forever love you. No matter what, Ron, I will always care for you, and no other man could change my feelings that I have for you. Sure, you're never coming back, but one of these days, I'll go up to you, and we'll forever be lovers up there."

The leaves danced across Ron's grave and whirled around Hermione's hair. Hermione, for the first time in days, gave a weak smile.

"I will always love you, Ron - "

The leaves stopped.

"Forever and always . . . "

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_**I know it's sad, it's sad! (BURSTS INTO TEARS)! Well, I guess this is the only way to end it off, unless he came back, but I don't think it would've worked for my story...Please review!**_


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